Armenia genocide law cast out by top French court

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President Sarkozy had championed the law, causing a rift with TurkeyYoan Valat/EPA

Charles BremnerParis

Last updated at 4:57PM, February 28 2012

France’s highest court today struck down a law, promoted by President Sarkozy,
that would make it illegal to deny that Ottoman Turks had committed genocide
against the Armenian people nearly a century ago.

The ruling by the Constitutional Council was an embarrassment to Mr Sarkozy’s
Union for a Popular Movement, which had promoted the law, but it will end a
diplomatic spat with Turkey.

Ankara has threatened to cut all diplomatic relations with France over the
legislation, which was backed by both sides of Parliament but opposed by
senior figures including Alain Juppé, Mr Sarkozy’s Foreign Minister.